How to
How to record a veteran's story
Service stories are the most asked-for and least-told stories in a family. Families make two mistakes: asking for the worst day first, or never asking at all.
Start with the ordinary
The food. The bunk. The sergeant's name. The first morning. The thing everyone complained about. Veterans are comfortable there, and the big stories live next door.
Follow, don't lead
When they go somewhere hard, stay quiet and let them. When they come back from it, do not push them in again. One telling is enough for the record.
Keep the record straight
Units, dates, places, as they give them. Mark what they are sure of and what they are not. A clean service record is a gift to the next generation of the family and to historians.
Start asking: questions to ask for this book.